


Is this it?

by spidermecc



Category: SKAM (France)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, First Meetings, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-12
Updated: 2019-06-12
Packaged: 2020-05-02 03:31:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19191037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spidermecc/pseuds/spidermecc
Summary: Eliott is with Lucille, he has his own apartment and he goes to uni. Life hasn’t always been easy on him, but things are finally looking up, and he’s content. So when Lucille asks him to meet her family, he agrees, as is expected of him. But what he didn’t expect, was for Lucille’s younger brother, Lucas, to take his breath away.





	Is this it?

**Author's Note:**

> First of all: Congratulations to all of us for SEASON 5!!! I am beyond happy, and I can't believe it's actually happening, we have truly been FED!
> 
> Second of all: I got the idea for this fic a month ago or something, and it's taken me ages to get up and write it, but here it is, and I hope you like it.  
> Enjoy mecs!

 

 

 

”Babe, don’t forget dinner at my parents’ place tomorrow” Lucille says, tying her shoelaces.

”Yeah, don’t worry I didn’t forget. I’ll come over right after uni, okay?” Eliott smiles, trying hard to give her a convincing smile.  

Lucille was great, she really was. They had been friends since high school, and she’d always been there for him. Eliott wasn’t stupid, he knew that she’d had a thing for him throughout high school, always hoping that their friendship would blossom into something more. He’d always cared about her, and depended on her, but he also knew that it would never develop into anything further, he just didn’t see her that way.

Well, he  _thought_  he knew. During their last year of high school, Eliott had been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, and it had turned his world upside down. He’d successfully pushed all of his friends away, not being able to deal with them walking on eggshells around him, always afraid that they might say or do something that would push him over the edge.

He had enough of that at home. His parents would always keep an eye on him, treating him like an infant, worrying when he didn’t answer texts right away or didn’t pick up the phone on the first try.    
After he was diagnosed, it was as if they’d forgotten that he was still a regular person, still the same son they’d always known. It was as if, his disorder had taken away his right to have bad days, and good ones for that matter. Always having to explain himself, reassure his parents that  _no_  he wasn’t having an episode, he was just  _really fucking tired_.

After a year of being constantly watched by his parents, he finally convinced them that it was probably be for the best, if he moved out. He needed his own space. They’d reluctantly agreed, after settling on a few terms, one of them being, that they’d have dinner together at least once a week.

Lucille had been the only friend he wasn’t able to push away. She was simply too stubborn. No matter how cruel he was to her, no matter how much he ignored her or told her he didn’t need her, she kept coming back. She’d leave him be for a few days, but then she’d be back, assuring him that she wasn’t going anywhere.   
At first he had truly resented her for it, simply wanting her to leave him the fuck alone. But over time, as he realized she wasn’t going to leave him be, he began to embrace it. She’d become his rock, his safe harbor. No matter how bad he fucked up, he knew she would always be back, and Eliott found some comfort in that – having a constant, in his messy and sometimes chaotic life.

She’d even helped him reconnect with Idriss and Sofiane. After months of radio silence, he’d finally mustered up the courage to contact them again, and they’d been understanding and supportive, just like Lucille said they would. He could never thank her enough for pushing him to contact them again. He doesn’t know how he’d even survived those months without them. But then again, those first few months, after he got diagnosed, were still somewhat blurry in his mind.

Now, both in uni, they’d found themselves in some sort of comfortable routine. They’d never really discussed what they were, simply drifting into a relationship over time. But they were comfortable and he was content, he could only assume that Lucille felt the same way.

That is, until last week when Lucille asked him if he’d want to meet her family. And really, what was he supposed to say?   
They had known each other for years now, she was practically his family, and he knew how much it meant to her. She had been dropping hints that she wanted to introduce him to them, for weeks now, so it didn’t come as a shock when she finally asked. And so, he’d reluctantly agreed.

He tried not to think too much about what it would mean for their relationship, going forward. Would she want to meet his parents as well?   
Would she start arranging double dates with their friends?   
Would they become a ‘we-couple’?   
“ _We_ don’t watch TV before going to bed”, “ _we_ try not to eat meat at home”, “ _we_  can’t come to the party” -   _we, we we_.

Just thinking about it made Eliott’s heart race, and honestly if he was going to survive tomorrow, he had to just.. not think too much about it. Which was practically impossible, seeing as he had a way of overthinking everything.   
Sometimes he’d overthinking the smallest things, like encounters with the cashier at the supermarket or conversations with his professors. He could be in the shower, when he’d suddenly think of something he  _should_ have answered instead of what he  _did_  answer. He would create a completely new conversation in his head, replaying it over and over, until he couldn’t remember how the  _actual_  conversation had gone. Only snapping out of it, when the hot water betrayed him, finally turning cold.  

“I can’t wait” Lucille says, softly yanking Eliott down to match her height, giving him a soft peck on the mouth.

“Although I’m a bit nervous about you meeting Lucas” she smiles, lips still on his.

Lucas was Lucille’s younger brother. She always spoke fondly about him, telling Eliott stories of how brave he was coming out to his family and the entire school. And Eliott had to admit that he sounded like a cool guy.. for a high schooler, that is.

“Why’s that?”

“Let’s just say he can be a bit uh-” she brings her head back, meeting Eliott’s eyes “grumpy”.

“I can work with grumpy” he assures her, as he gently nudges her towards the front door “now go, before you miss your class again”.

“You’re right, I’ll see you tomorrow” she salutes, giving him one last kiss on the cheek and then she’s out the door.

He shuffles into the kitchen, pouring himself coffee that Lucille had made a few hours ago. It’s not even lukewarm anymore, but it’s still caffeine, it’ll suffice.

As he plops down on his couch, he lets out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. The harder he tries not to think about meeting Lucille’s parents, the more he does. It reminds him of something his teacher in kindergarten once said:

_“I’m going to make all of you think about the exact same thing at the same time”_

_That’s impossible, little Eliott thought to himself. She’s no magician, otherwise she’d surely have turned the awful lunch into something delicious, like pizza!_

_“Okay so listen to me. Under no circumstances, are any of you allowed to think about a pink elephant right now, okay?”_

_Eliott’s mind immediately started picturing a big cartoon elephant. It was pink, of course._

_“I bet you all thought of a pink elephant, didn’t you?” the teacher asked._

_All the kids nodded in unison, Eliott included._

_“If you want someone to think about something in particular, just tell them not to, and they immediately will. It’s human nature”._

_It’s human nature_ , Eliott thinks to himself. Is it human nature to obsess over every little thing?   
Sometimes he spent hours thinking whether it was his illness that had made him that way or if it was simply the way he was wired. Was it even possible to separate the two things? If it was his illness, then surely it must also be the way he’s wired, right?

He lets out another sigh, sipping his, now ice cold, coffee.

_It’ll be fine_  he tells himself  _it doesn’t have to change anything_. Maybe if he repeats it enough, he’ll actually believe it.   
__

His last class ends at 4pm, which gives him exactly one hour before he has to be at Lucille’s parents’ house.

According to Google Maps, their house is a 20-minute walk from campus, so he decides to go the opposite direction, towards his favorite coffee shop.  

As he enters the shop, the familiar aroma reaches his nostrils straight away. There’s something about coffee shops, that just screams;  _home, comfort and familiarity_  to him. He’d made it his personal mission to try as many independent coffee shops in Paris, as he could.   
But this one was his go-to, he’d been here more times than he could count, and it had actually gotten to the point where he didn’t even have to place his order anymore. The few baristas that worked there, all knew what his usual was. So he’d simply go up to the register, exchange polite greetings, pay for the coffee and then they’d bring him his drink.

As he makes his way up to the register, he immediately notices that there’s a new guy behind the register. He’s definitely new, because Eliott is sure that he’d remember that face.

The first thing that catches his eye is the boy’s soft eyes. They were so... _blue._ Someone punch him in the face if he ever compares someone’s eyes to the sky or the sea, he will not be  _that_  guy. But holy shit, he could really get lost in those eyes.

The boy has soft brown hair, sticking in every possible direction, as if he’d combed his hands through it one too many times. Eliott really wished that  _he_ could comb through the boys’ hair, just once, just to satisfy his curiosity.

 The boy is fidgeting with his apron, furrowing his brows, as he tries to tie the apron on the back, around his small waist. Eliott wonders what it would feel like to wrap his hands around that waist.

After a few moments, of what could only be described as staring, he finally walks up to the register, trying to act as natural as possible. As if he wasn’t staring at an actual angel in an apron.

“Hi, what can I get you?” the boy asks, as he finally manages to secure the apron successfully and notices Eliott.

“Salut, I’ll have a latte with soy milk” Eliott announces, not taking his eyes off the boy, who’s actually writing down the order on his notepad. Eliott is pretty sure that he’s never seen anyone else do that, and he can’t help it when a smile forms on his lips.

“Oh, and could I have some cocoa powder on top?” he adds hastily. It’s been so long since he actually placed the order, that he’d managed to forget the most important thing.

“Cocoa on top” the boy says to himself, as he scribbles on his notepad “anything else?”

_Please look at me again._

“Nope, that’s it” he answers as he pulls out his wallet.

Instead of settling at his usual table in the corner, he sits next to the window, where he has a perfect view of the register, without having to crane his neck.

And okay, Eliott knows he shouldn’t be staring at the cute boy behind the counter. First of all, he is with Lucille, and he is happy, he really is. Second of all, the boy hadn’t spared him a single glance since he sat down, which was a pretty good indication that he definitely wasn’t interested.

Not that Eliott wanted him to be interested. What would he even say, if the boy did show interest?  _You’re really cute, but I have a girlfriend. Also, could you please memorize my order so we never have to interact again, pretty please with cocoa on top?_

No, definitely not.

As he takes out his laptop from his bag pack, the boy comes over with his coffee.

“One latte with soy milk and cocoa on top” he announces proudly as he sets it on the table, with too much force, resulting in half of the coffee landing on the table.

“Oh shit, I’m so sorry!” he exclaims, frantically pulling out tissues from a nearby table.

“Don’t worry about it, I wasn’t even thirsty really” Eliott assures him, pushing his laptop away, before it gets soaked in coffee.

“It’s only my second shift, so I’m still a bit rusty” he explains, as he continues wiping the table “I’ll get you another one, on the house”.

“There’s really no need” Eliott assures him, trying not to dwell too much on the sweet cologne the boy is wearing. He’s not trying to smell the boy, but he’s just so close, leaning in over Eliott, to wipe the coffee before it lands on the floor.

_Snap out of it Eliott._

“I actually have to go now anyway, but if I could get the rest in a to-go cup?” he asks, suddenly desperate to get out of the shop. He’s supposed to meet his girlfriend’s parents, not sniff the baristas’ cologne. No matter how cute the barista might be.

“Oh, yeah of course” the boy says grabbing the cup of coffee, which is almost empty by now. But Eliott is really a glass half full kind of guy, so he doesn’t mind it too much.

“Again, I’m really sorry” he says handing Eliott a paper cup with the remaining coffee “next time you come in, just tell them that Lucas owes you a coffee on the house”.

_Lucas. That’s a pretty name._

Eliott can’t stop himself from letting out a soft laugh.

“I will, don’t worry about it, really”

He catches the boys’ eyes and suddenly he’s overcome with the urge to compare them to the sea again.

Lucas looks at him expectantly, waiting for Eliott to introduce himself as well.

But he doesn’t, too afraid that if he shakes his hand, sparks might fly, the electricity might circuit and all that, so he simply grabs his bag and coffee and walks out, making sure not to look back at Lucas, whose gaze he feels on his back, the whole way out.   
___

As he gets closer to Lucille’s parents’ house, he automatically starts walking slower, trying to steady his breathing.  _It’s going to be fine, it’s just dinner._

So why does it feel like more? Like he’s reaching a point of no return. If he does this, then they’re officially a  _couple-couple_.  

Is he ready for that?

Just 10 minutes ago he was ogling the cute barista shamelessly. A good boyfriend wouldn’t do that.

Fuck, he really needs to get his shit together. Lucille needs this, she needs him to get a fucking grip and do this for her, and that’s what he’s going to do. He owes her that much.

He takes a deep breath before ringing the bell.  _Here goes nothing._

When the door opens, he almost does a double take. The middle aged woman, with brown hair, cut just above her shoulders, looks just like Lucille. Or rather, Lucille looks just like her.

“Eliott!” she exclaims, reaching out her arms and pulling him through the threshold.

“It’s so nice to finally meet you, I’ve heard so much about you” she beams, “I’m Diane, Lucille’s mom” she continues, still holding on to Eliott’s arms.

She radiates warmth, and Eliott can’t help but return her smile.

“It’s so nice to meet you as well Mrs. Lallemant” he answers genuinely.

“Oh no no” she says, flailing her arms “call me Diane, or don’t call me anything at all”.

Eliott feels a faint blush reaching his cheeks “so nice to meet you Diane”.

She pulls him into a hug, and Eliott automatically stiffens. He doesn’t like to be touched, especially not by strangers. But still, he returns the hug with as much conviction as he can.

When she finally releases him, she gently nudges him into the hallway, and gestures for the coat rack.

“You can leave your bag and coat here, dinner isn’t quite ready yet, and we’re still waiting for Lucas, he’ll get off work in half an hour or so”.

That’s when the smell reaches Eliott’s nostrils. It smells like butter and onions, and he can’t help but let out a faint moan, as he takes in the smell. He’s pretty sure he hasn’t had a decent home cooked meal in, what feels like, months. He’s not the greatest cook himself, and neither is Lucille. They always praise themselves lucky when Lucille’s roommate, Amélie, cooks for them. Sometimes if he’s lucky, he even gets to take leftovers home.

“It smells amazing Mrs – Diane” he corrects himself awkwardly, as he receives another warm smile.

“Hi baby” Lucille says as she emerges from the living room, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. She’s never been a big fan of PDA, and neither has Eliott, they’ve always agreed on that. Never wanting to be that couple, who subject strangers to their affection publicly.

“I take it you’ve met my mom?”

“Oh he has” Diane says, and if Eliott isn’t completely mistaken, giving her daughter a, not-so-subtle, wink.

Guess he didn’t mess up, just yet.

Lucille beams at her mother and gently strokes his arm comfortingly. She knows he’s not a big fan of meeting new people.  

“As I just told Eliott, dinner will be ready soon, but we still have to wait for your dear brother” Diane says “why don’t you introduce Eliott to your father and I’ll bring us all something to drink?”

Lucille nods at her mother as she takes Eliott’s hand into her own.

“I know you hate this, but I swear you’re going to love them as soon as you get to know them” she whispers in his ear.

Eliott answers with a reassuring nod, as he places his hand on her lower back. He wants her to know that he’s determined to do this for her. He wants to make her happy, she deserves as much.

Lucille’s dad is sitting in an armchair, in the corner of the living room, reading glasses on the bridge of his nose, seemingly lost in a book. Eliott tilts his head slightly, so see the cover of the book. The Goldfinch, he mentally approves of the man’s choice of book, it’s one of Eliott’s personal favorites.

“Dad, I’d like you to meet Eliott” Lucille says as she takes the book out of his hand and gestures for him him to get up.

“Ah, Eliott!” he exclaims, as he takes off his glasses and places them on the chair “so you’re the guy that stole my little girls’ heart” he laughs, a smile forming on his lips.

A nervous laugh escapes Eliott’s mouth, because  _what is he supposed to say to that?_

“I’m Victor, it’s great to finally put a face to the name. We’ve heard so much about” he says, reaching out his hand, which Eliott quickly grabs and shakes.

“So nice to meet you as well Mr. Lallemant” he says, retrieving his hand and swiftly placing both of them in his jeans pockets.

It’s not that Mr. and Mrs. Lallemant didn’t seem like nice people, because they did. They radiated warmth, but Eliott couldn’t rid the urge of fleeing out of the house. It was all so formal, so serious. He obviously knew that their relationship would come to this one day, but still, he wasn’t ready for this just yet.

_If you’re not ready after almost two years, when will you be?_

He desperately tries to push the chaotic jumble of thoughts to the back of his mind. He just has to get through tonight, this is the worst part. After this, he will be okay.

_It’s just a few hours, it’s just a few hours, it’s just a few hours._

“Eliott dear, why don’t you take a seat?”

Mrs. Lallemant was back from the kitchen, with a tray of glasses and a big bottle of, what Eliott could only assume, was homemade lemonade.   
She pours everyone a glass, and takes a seat next to her husband, one hand nursing her lemonade, the other drawing circles on Mr. Lallemant’s back.

For the first time in what feels like hours, he realizes that Lucille is still standing next to him, never having left, her reassuring hand still on his lower back. He appreciates the gesture, but it really makes no difference, she could he cooing soft words in his ear the whole time and he’d still feel uncomfortable as ever.

He takes a seat next to her, and starts making small talk with Mr. and Mrs. Lallemant. After a few minutes, he feels himself easing up. They’re easy to talk to, and they don’t ask too many personal questions. Something tells him, that Lucille instructed them, before he got here.

Just as Mrs. Lallemant is telling Eliott about her special lasagna recipe, the front door slams open.

“Oh that must be Lucas, he’s home early” Mrs. Lallemant places her glass on the table as she gets up to greet her son.

Eliott gets up from the couch and wipes his slightly sweaty palms on the back of his pants, as he prepares himself for another round of half-awkward introductions and politeness.

There’s some slight commotion in the hallway, a silhouette frantically trying to hang his coat on the overstuffed rack. Eliott immediately notices that he is very small, compared to the rest of his family.

When the boy enters the living room, Eliott swears his heart stops.

He’s greeted with those baby blue eyes, and recognition washes over the younger boy’s face just as quickly. 

_It’s him.. It’s the breathtakingly beautiful barista._  
_And fuck, he’s just as handsome as Eliott remembers him._  
 _Don’t look him in the eyes, stop staring, stop staring._

Lucas slowly approaches him, almost as if he’s afraid Eliott might bolt again. Fat chance of that happening, seeing as Eliott is practically frozen on the spot.

“Hi, I’m Lucas” he says softly, catching Eliott’s flickering gaze, as he reaches out a slightly trembling hand “you must be Eliott”.

 

**Author's Note:**

> This is a multi-chaptered fic, so stay tuned!
> 
> Find me on tumblr: spidermecc


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